Learn
The Coalition for Community Schools celebrates leaders and change agents who are disrupting systems to create a more equitable environment for all of our young people to succeed. At The Coalition for Community Schools National Forum, we honor organizations and individual leaders whose commitment to equity and innovative practices and policies have made a significant impact on the youth, families and communities they serve.
Click here to view past recipients of the Community Leadership Awards and here to view past recipients of the Community Awards for Excellence.
Californians for Justice
Civic engagement is the cornerstone of a strong democracy. This award will goes to an entity (school, district, initiative, organization) that organizes youth, families and/or communities to advocate for equitable public education systems.
Asheville City Schools Foundation
Civic engagement is the cornerstone of a strong democracy. This award will goes to an entity (school, district, initiative, organization) that organizes youth, families and/or communities to advocate for equitable public education systems.
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
Civic engagement is the cornerstone of a strong democracy. This award will goes to an entity (school, district, initiative, organization) that organizes youth, families and/or communities to advocate for equitable public education systems.
Carl Mike - Manager, Strategic Initiatives at DC Public Schools
A Community School Initiative Leader is an individual who is facilitating the scaling-up of a system of Community Schools which, refers to a vertical network of schools from pre-kindergarten through Grade 12 in a single attendance area with all schools linked horizontally in a place (city, county, town, and tribal nation) across one or more school districts. This award goes to individuals that have significantly advanced their initiatives toward broad and measured equitable impact, strengthened sustainability through cross-sector development, and increased number of Community Schools.
Laura Elliot - United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County
Reyna Luz Juarez - Whittier Elementary
This award goes to the persons in the role of a Community School Coordinator that demonstrated the ability to facilitate collaboration, inclusion, and distributive leadership across their school sites achieving measurable results for students, families, and/or their community.
Lorraine Orlandi - Francisco Middle School, San Francisco
This award goes to the persons in the role of a Community School Coordinator that demonstrated the ability to facilitate collaboration, inclusion, and distributive leadership across their school sites achieving measurable results for students, families, and/or their community.
Donna Cardoza - Toronto District School Board Model Schools for Inner City
This award goes to the persons in the role of a Community School Coordinator that demonstrated the ability to facilitate collaboration, inclusion, and distributive leadership across their school sites achieving measurable results for students, families, and/or their community.
Ron Kellogg - Dawes Middle School
This award goes to the persons in the role of a Community School Coordinator that demonstrated the ability to facilitate collaboration, inclusion, and distributive leadership across their school sites achieving measurable results for students, families, and/or their community.
Saisha Brathwaite United Community Schools - Brooklyn Landmark Elementary School
This award goes to principals and teachers that have embraced and implemented inclusive and collaborative leadership and decision-making practices to realize their community’s shared vision for Community Schools and student success. They exemplify what it means to be an adaptive leader and embody the skills and dispositions that foster the inclusion of all.
Michael Essien - Principal at Dr. Martin Luther King Academic Middle School; San Francisco Unified School District
This award goes to principals and teachers that have embraced and implemented inclusive and collaborative leadership and decision-making practices to realize their community’s shared vision for Community Schools and student success. They exemplify what it means to be an adaptive leader and embody the skills and dispositions that foster the inclusion of all.
Leyda Garcia - Principal at UCLA Community School, LAUSD
This award goes to principals and teachers that have embraced and implemented inclusive and collaborative leadership and decision-making practices to realize their community’s shared vision for Community Schools and student success. They exemplify what it means to be an adaptive leader and embody the skills and dispositions that foster the inclusion of all.
Sophia Dao - Teacher at LAUSD
This award goes to principals and teachers that have embraced and implemented inclusive and collaborative leadership and decision-making practices to realize their community’s shared vision for Community Schools and student success. They exemplify what it means to be an adaptive leader and embody the skills and dispositions that foster the inclusion of all.
Lisa Levasseur - Elk Grove Unified School District
This award will go to a school district leader who has made significant contributions towards aligning strategies to create a sustainable system for family engagement.
William S. White, Chairman and CEO, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation (Flint, MI)
William S. White is chairman and chief executive officer of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Since 1935, the Foundation has been a major funder of community schools – first in its home community of Flint, Michigan, and ultimately in communities around the world. Mr. White has been an advocate for and supporter of the community school movement and related organizations and projects, including – over the past 20 years – the Coalition for Community Schools.
National League of Cities (Washington, DC)
The National League of Cities (NLC) is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities, working in partnership with 49 state municipal leagues, and serving as a resource and advocate for the more than 19,000 cities, villages, and towns it represents. NLC’s Institute for Youth, Education, and Families has committed to continuously advocating for the growth of community schools and worked diligently with mayors to support their community school implementation.
Dr. Matt Wayne, Superintendent, Hayward Unified School District (Hayward, CA)
Dr. Wayne, Superintendent of Hayward Unified School District, works to create deeper learning experiences, focusing on the whole child and meeting the diverse needs of students and families through the community school strategy. His dedication to partnerships has increased graduation rates and lowered chronic absenteeism rates across the district. He also led the charge to pass a Sanctuary Schools resolution.
Jitu Brown, National Director, Journey for Justice Alliance (Chicago, IL)
Jitu Brown is the National Director for the Journey for Justice Alliance, a network of over 40 grassroots community-based organizations in 31 cities organizing for community-driven school improvement. Mr. Brown has consistently used his influence and dedication to equity to advocate for community schools as the vehicle for change, and is one of the leaders who has helped to raise community schools visibility to a national level.
Comunidad de Luz y Esperanza (Austin, TX)
Comunidad de Luz y Esperanza is a group of mothers from East Austin College Prep (EAPrep), proud and committed to helping EAPrep families and the communities throughout East Austin. Part of the Good Neighbor initiative from Southwest Key Programs and in strong partnership with EAPrep, Comunidad de Luz y Esperanza’s grassroots and culturally responsive methods to increase equity and engage families has empowered parents to increase student achievement and build bridges across their community.
Zein Saleh - student, North Star High School
This award gors to a youth who has demonstrated leadership in their school and/or community and has proven their commitment to equity and social justice.
Isaiah Catching - Student, Horace Mann UCLA Community School
This award gors to a youth who has demonstrated leadership in their school and/or community and has proven their commitment to equity and social justice.